Josh
Turek

Josh Turek is a two-time Paralympic gold medalist for Team USA and a member of the Iowa House of Representatives. He has been a strong proponent of meaningful and effective environmental protection – especially for the air, food, and water we all rely on.

Born with spina bifida, Turek underwent 21 surgeries by the age of 12 before going on to have a prolific professional basketball career, culminating in gold medals at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Turek then brought his leadership to his hometown of Council Bluffs, where he narrowly won election to the Iowa Legislature in 2022 by a mere six votes. Since then, Turek has been a champion for disability advocates and agricultural communities — addressing the needs of working and rural families by fighting for clean air and water, extreme weather resiliency, lower utility bills through clean energy investments, and access to affordable healthcare and a safe environment for all Iowans.

As a senator, Turek will continue to advocate for alleviating the economic pressures facing the middle class, better health care, and widespread environmental protections. Turek is the first individual with a permanent disability to represent Iowa in the U.S. Senate.

Turek joins the U.S. Senate to fill the seat of retiring Senator Joni Ernst, who earned a 7% lifetime score on LCV’s National Environmental Scorecard.

“I’ve heard firsthand from Iowans, whether it be farmers in the rural communities or working class folk in urban areas, about the impact climate disasters have had on their lives. We have to address the root causes of these disasters, or working class folks will keep paying the price.” – LCVAF Questionnaire